PRESS RELEASE

VANCOUVER’S SANTA LUCIA PREMIERE NEW LATIN FUNK ROCK VIDEO FOR
“RUSSELLFUNK” FROM SUPPRESSED ANTHEMS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2016
[Vancouver, BC] Santa Lucia LFR (LFR stands for Latin Funk Rock) may well be
Canada’s best kept secret. Like a multi-ethnic gathering of friends, this seven-member,
Vancouver-based band has created a sound that evokes the early days of Latin Rock
(Santana, War, etc.) while adding their own blend of Funk grooves. Lead by Nicaraguan
frontman German Cantillo on vocals and guitar, the band has an addictive combination
of Nuyorican Boogaloo, West Coast Funk and ever present Cuban grooves engulfing
the stage with monstrous horns and bass, and funky breaks with furious lyrics in English
and Spanish.
Santa Lucia LFR have just released a new video for their song “Russellfunk” from
their third, full-length 2011 album, Supressed Anthems, which offers a blend of horndriven music anthems with a social conscience, unique Latin sensibilities with plenty of
rock, a shot of salsa, a shed-load of funk, and some high-speed Nicaraguan cumbia,
and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can light up any room, even without
words. This instrumental jam-fest highlights the musical sparks that ignite and then
blaze with layer upon layer of radiant, brilliant musicianship & soul-inspiring skill. Playful
in its nature, but serious in precision, “Russellfunk” puts the rhythmic heart of Santa
Lucia LFR out there directly on the dance-floor to party with the people! Watch it on
YouTube now.
With a new single on the horizon, Santa Lucia LFR’s line-up of stellar musicians
currently includes: Byron Russell on alto sax, Kevin Tang on trombone, Luis Garzon on
bass, Jeremy Vint on trumpet, Luis Aulestia on Latin percussion,
and Stefan Grabowski on drums. Although they may be misunderstood visionaries, their
common cause is to bring attention to a dynamic sound that has never really been on
the musical radar of this country. Their objective is simple: Santa Lucia LFR wants you
to dance. Just how they go about getting your body moving is a little more complex, but
these guys from a mix of backgrounds have found a way to present new and original
Latin and funk compositions that both the masses and purists alike can enjoy.
As a result of their great appeal and the versatility of their music, Santa Lucia LFR are
welcomed in nearly every kind of festival, including the Vancouver International Jazz
Festival, Calgary and Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival, Salmon Arm Blues & Roots
Festival, Victoria Ska Fest, Folk on the Rocks Festival in Yellowknife, Calgary Latin
Fest, Ontario’s Sound of Music, Manitoba’s Trout Forest Fest, Quebec Le Festif! to the
Taste of Fernie and Okanagan Winery series at Tinhorn Creek. They have also
performed corporate shows for the Diabetes Society of Victoria, CBC French Alliance
Society and fundraisers for Canadian Veterans at Billy Bishop Legion, as well as the
Jazz Cellar Club in Vancouver to rock clubs in Western Canada and the US, opening for
international touring acts such as Ozomatli, Yerba Buena, Los Mococos, The Skatalites,
Maxi Priest, Los Lobos, Polyrythmics, Chile’s Gondwana, and Israel’s Hadag Nahash at
the annual Jewish Chutzpah! Festival.
In the meantime, stay in touch with the band at www.santaluciamusic.com and through
their social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
https://youtu.be/GTzcgg1QqqI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LlTT19NFew
http://www.santaluciamusic.com/
https://soundcloud.com/santa-lucia-lfr
For More Information:
Santa Lucia Music
Booking
German Cantillo
e] [email protected]
Porch Swing Entertainment
Artist Management
Laurie Brown
t] 780-446-1849
e] [email protected]
Scully Love Promo
Publicity and Social Media Strategy
Christine Bode
t] 613-453-2419
e] [email protected]
SANTA LUCIA: Suppressed Anthems
(santaluciamusic.com)
By Stuart Derdeyn Thu, Nov 4 2014 COMMENTS(0) Quick Spins The Province
The second full CD from Vancouver's purveyors of LFR - Latin funk rock - shows a lot of
development
from its debut. For one thing, the core membership now numbers nine. With four horns,
two
percussionists and more confident and searing guitar work from leader German Castillo.
There is also
more stylistic variety found in the 11 tracks. The opener "Mozambique" is a full on
rocker while "War" is
a funked up ska type track. The lyrics are political and fairly angry, putting the band in
the same comany as Ozomatli and others. Grade: B+
the Forum, Nov. 12, 2014
The Now Newspaper by Melanie Minty
Full name: Santa Lucia LFR (Latin Funk Rock)
http://www.santaluciamusic.com/
1) What makes Santa Lucia LFR different than other bands?
Some things never change. At least that appear to be the theme surrounding the
Surrey, BC. Latin Funk Rock & World Santa Lucia LFR. Surrey’s best kept secret,
musically!.
The band’s been active for almost 10 years and in that time, I’ts gone from the cusp of
hip to.. the cusp of hop. “We were always the band opening for the new hip thing” says
German Cantillo the band’s fronting vocalist, founder & songwriter. “We would play and
they would play and six months later, that scene was dead. That band would change
their haircuts and reinvent themselves, and we would still open for them.
But dispite the band’s seemingly static state, Cantillo says he is quite comfortable with
the perpetuation. “you don’t want to live and die by a scene”. But the scene is not
through with us. We were always a live band, we could sit in a rehearsal space or the
recording studio all day long and it just doesn’t feel the same. We were always the type
of band that “you must go to the pub, club or festival to go see live”.
The band has built a history of addictive dance music creating a sound that evokes the
early days of Latin Funk (Santana, War, etc.), while adding their own blend of Rock and
Funk grooves. Bringing to the West Coast of Canada experimenting rhythms like
Nuyorican Boogaloo. There is the ever present Cuban grooves engulfing the stage with
monstrous horns, bass and funky breaks with furious lyrics in English and Spanish.
Santa Lucia released their third full length album “Suppressed Anthems” ( available on
itunes ) https://itunes.apple.com/artist/santa-lucia-lfr/id393854819
https://itunes.apple.com/album/suppressed-anthems/id393854818 a blend of horn
driven music anthems with a social conscience, Unique Latin sensibilities with plenty of
rock, a shot of salsa, a shed-load of funk, and some high-speed Nicaraguan cumbia..”
Latin revolutionary sloganeering, environmental concerns, global politics and clenchedfist leftist anthems, and you get all that message while dancing and having a great time.
That’s what separate this band from the rest.
2) Why are you excited about playing at The Vancouver Jazz Festival?
German Cantillo said:
After being absent from major Vancouver Festivals for almost 2 years, I’m very exciting
to be back playing in our local backyard. This give us a change once again with a new
album to showcase our ability to entertain our local followers in a way that’s fun and at
the same time delivering a positive message.
Byron Russell said:
Santa Lucia has had the chance to play with many talented artists over the years. We
like to say that we bring a unique blend of music that keeps people moving from start to
finish. Being the only local latin funk rock fusion group has scored us some incredible
show venues over the years. These shows have won us fans and friends alike from all
over the world. From our killer rock latin percussion, to our punchy horns , energetic
lyrics in both Spanish as well as English, you can’t help but get up and move! Don't
believe us though, come let us prove it to you at the 2013 Vancouver Jazz Festival! See
you all there!!
Other Santa Lucia LFR shows:
June 30th , 2013 - Vancouver International Jazz Festival - 1:45pm - David Lam Park
Stage.
July 1st, 2013 - Canada Day Celebrations @ Canada Place - Vancouver, BC
July 13th , 2013 - The Fanclub - Vancouver, BC
August 10th, 2013 - Joe’s Apartment - Vancouver, BC
August 16th, 17th, 18th, 2013 - Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival - Salmon Arm,
BC
1) Please give examples of songs that you will be playing that night along with the
composers.
I'm the main songwriter in the band,. We'll be playing songs like:
https://soundcloud.com/santa-lucia-lfr/muchacha
Muchacha: A rock song with chacha feel ballad about a heart-broken fella wanting to
win her love's heart back.
https://soundcloud.com/santa-lucia-lfr/guantanamo
Guantanamo: A song about creating awareness about US military bases in Latin
America including the infamous Guantanamo prison in Cuba. The song kind of took a
life of its own, mixing a message while toying with dancing latin rhythms is what made
this song and anthem to party goers and dancing crowds at festivals Having fun while
delivering a message.
..and then you have funky-ish tunes like Funk Cabron: https://soundcloud.com/santalucia-lfr/un-funk-cabron
Russellfunk: https://soundcloud.com/santa-lucia-lfr/russellfunk
A la casa del Gringo: (party at gringo's house) https://soundcloud.com/santa-lucia-lfr/ala-casa-del-gringo
2) How was the band put together? I read about how you named the band which I will
definitely be adding to the article.
At the time I started this project at the end of 1999 there was no one in the city
(Vancouver) playing this music or let alone interested in playing this kind of stuff.
I found Byron playing with his high school jazz band, I approached him as I needed to
recruit horn players for the band and pitched him the idea, he looked at me and thought
this guy is nuts (as in later years we joked about) but he was crazy enough as well and
went for it with my vision. As we discover by The Province Newspaper writer Stuart
Derdeyn we were pioneers in this field in Canada.
We've been active for 10 years and in that time, it's gone from the cusp of hip to.. the
cusp of hop. You have similar bands in the city now influence by what we're doing,
trying to re-create the trend, despite the band's seemingly static state, I'm quite
comfortable with it. You don't want to live and die by a scene.
3) What is your favourite thing about performing/writing?
I think its the not-a-care-in-the-world looks in everyone's eyes when they are dancing
and having a good time. The songwriting favorite part for me is got to be the challenge
to write songs that will rock in a live setting,. as no every song can reach that status.
As a band we've never been that commercial and I think that's what give us an edge
from every other band, that our focus is in delivering a good time rather than pleasing
the industry.
4) How did you first fall in love with music? Have you always been drawn to Latin,
Funk, and Rock?
Living in exile in the early 80's all I could rely on was the love of my parents and an
interest in music.
I guess it was more like a survival skill for me.
I was drawn to the LFR genre when I came to Canada via San Francisco in the early
90's a genre that was unheard of here in Canada. At the time you would hear of bands
experimenting with other rhythms thus world music was born,.
As a kid growing up in Latin America meant I had to experiment too,. haha.. the mix is in
our dna, I grew up with salsa, cumbia and other Latino rhythms, I've played in rock
bands as well but as a musician you have to adapt and re-invent yourself so the
experimentation with world rhythms just came naturally to me.
Who knows, maybe I write a country album one day too.